Media Roundup: Adler lashes Writers’ Week, Craig Silvey charged, Pentagon's Grok rollout, and Dilbert creator dies

Publishing

Adler unleashes on Writers' Week

Hours after standing down as director of the Adelaide Writers' Week, and the subsequent decision to cancel the event altogether, Louise Adler fronted the ABC's 730.

During the chat, Adler told host Sarah Ferguson the event's reputation had been "trashed" but that the controversy made holding the event "untenable".

Watch the interview here.

Meanwhile...

Crikey's Nick Feik has done some digging on the circumstances leading up to the event's downfall.

Feik claims to have found a key letter, which he reports "casts new light on the rationale used by the festival board to uninvite Randa Abdel-Fattah".

And...

A new board's already been appointed.

The Daily Telegraph's Talara McHugh and Aden Hill report that the South Australian government has appointed a new four-member board to oversee the Adelaide Festival, with Judy Potter returning as chair.

Joining Potter on the board are former Adelaide Festival executive director Rob Brookman, former 7News presenter Jane Doyle, and former State Opera chair John Irving.

Legal

Author Craig Silvey charged with child exploitation offences

The writer behind Australian classics such as Jasper Jones and Runt has been charged with child exploitation offences after being arrested at his Fremantle home on Monday.

He appeared in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The Australian's Paul Garvey reports that Silvey faces one count of distributing child exploitation material and one count of possession of child exploitation material.

Magistrate Thomas Hall told the court that imprisonment would likely be the outcome if he were convicted.

AI

Pentagon moves on Grok rollout

The US military is moving to bring Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok into its systems, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirming the tool will be integrated across Pentagon networks.

The Guardian's Anna Betts reports that Hegseth said the rollout would begin later this month.

All this comes just a day after news that the UK watchdog was investigating Grok AI chatbot over claims its generating sexual deepfakes.

Vale

Dilbert creator Scott Adams dies at 68

The Sydney Morning Herald's Mark Kennedy reports that Adams disclosed in 2025 that he had prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.

Adams became a defining voice of office satire before being dropped from syndication in 2023 following racist remarks.

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